Newswise — John Lyons is a PhD student in geophysics at Michigan Technological University whose research focuses on earthquakes and ensuing tsunamis.
Commenting on today's earthquake in Japan and the tsunami that followed, Lyons says: "The strong tsunami and damaging shaking are due to the shallow depth of the earthquake and the earthquake’s mechanism, which is classified as a thrust-type earthquake due to the Pacific plate subducting beneath the Eurasian plate. Japan is one of the world leaders in earthquake science and engineering and one of the most earthquake-resistant countries in the world, due to strong scientific and governmental efforts. However, despite these efforts, it is still impossible to predict where and when powerful earthquakes will strike, which is why education and earthquake disaster prevention research is so important.
"The earthquake location reported by the USGS places the depth at 15 miles (24 km) below the surface, which is very shallow and caused a large, damaging tsunami. The tsunami swept miles inland and reached 33 feet (10 m) high in some of the most affected areas. A tsunami warning has been issued for the entire Pacific basin by the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, including the west coast of the U.S and Canada. The waves recently passed through the Hawaiian Islands with the largest waves reported along the coast of Maui over 5 feet. Waves over six feet (2 m) have been predicted for areas of Oregon and Washington and evacuations in low-lying coastal areas are under way. "
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